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Participants:

Date:

2010.08.13

Location:

Eastern Weyr: Baths

Synopsis:

Andi and Zen meet in the baths. Some cuddling and discussion about dragons.

Rating:

PG-13

Logger:

Merendezen

Underneath the upper set of hatching sands, this cavern is fairly large in size, though it is dwarfed in comparison to others nearby. A natural hot spring, the steamy water has been diverted into one large pool - capable of holding about twenty odd people - and several smaller ones around the edges. Shelves have been set up along the northern wall, lined with different scents of bathing salts, sweetsands and oils. Under the shelves are benches where folk can dress and undress. Even given the tropical nature of the climate, this is still one of the most popular places in the weyr.

It's not unusual to find the man in the baths after work, green eyes closed with his head partially tilted downwards. He is either extremely relaxed or sleeping in the pools. Zen is quite unmoving and the baths are relatively empty with more people drifting out than in at this hour at night.

Hard work is most definitely not something Andi is used to, and her hands are sore from even the easiest of jobs, the young woman having traded away the worst chores for now. And so she's wincing as she sneaks into the baths, hurriedly slipping into the warm water with a soft sigh as it begins to do the trick almost immediately.

Merendezen twitches at the sound of someone entering the pool, not entirely unaware. Green eyes flicker open, quickly scanning and then spotting Andi. He says nothing to the woman as she joins him, simply watching her from where he slips into the water lower. "Little one." He finally greets, giving her a curious looking over.

Andi is distracted by slowly moving her shoulders, shifting them drifting lower in the water. And then, her attention is drawn back to her surroundings by Zen's greeting, smiling hesitantly at him, still perhaps a little nervous. "Zen.." A pause, and she ducks her head. "He.. he's gone. You don't have to worry." She says almost hesitantly.

Merendezen gives the woman a look, saying nothing for a moment more before he nods. "So I've heard." Zen has been listening to anything and everything lately. He continues to linger in silence for a few moments, eyes searching her quietly. "How are you doing? Are your chores treating you alright?"

"I.. I suppose." She offers softly, lifting a hand out of the water to look over her hands, a finger rubbing over a spot that's threatening to become a blister, biting her lip as she slips her gaze back to Zen. "Are.. Are you okay?" She finally stammers, blushing a little as she drops her gaze, confused, certainly.

Merendezen gives her a look, watching her look over her hand and furrowing his brows. "If you want me to take over your harder chores, let me know. Alara gave the okay for me to take over chores, as long as there isn't any fighting over it." He considers her as she asks the question and there's a nod. "Fine, little one. Just been busy…"

A blink, and she's shaking her head hurriedly, hunching her shoulders a little. "I.. I'll be okay, Zen." She whispers, her hands dropping back into the water, sinking lower as he nods. "You.. You'll overdo it." She sighs softly and his answer, arms folding over her chest a little self consciously.

Merendezen furrows his brows and nods, "okay, Andi… If it gets to be too much, I can handle what you can't. Don't push yourself too hard." He considers her again, letting out a huff. "I won't overdo anything, silly woman. Making sure I can be where I'm needed and hearing what shouldn't be heard."

"Zen.." She starts, and then smiles at him a little. "You.. You're going to have a lifemate, to care for, soon. You shouldn't.." And then as he's huffing a little, assuring her he won't overdo it, and his reasoning for his choices, she just closes her eyes and nods, sinking a little deeper, water touching her chin as she looks away.

"Andi… You've got more of a chance than I do." Zen gives her a look, "don't talk like you're not a candidate, either, woman." Green eyes focusing on her entirely before drifting away to the entering people, watching them carefully. "What are you thinking about, little one?"

A sidelong glance at Zen, and Andi shakes her head hurriedly. "It.. Its just a good excuse to keep an eye on Isilna.. To.. To stay informed." And her simple statement makes it seem exactly how sure she is of her chances. As he asks what she's thinking, she jumps a little, blinking, and shaking her head again, staying quiet. Until, "You.. You don't mind that.. That I'm standing. Do you?"

"Did a dragon Search you, then? Or did you volunteer to it? Offer yourself to the Weyrwoman?" He gives her a look, eyes narrowing on her before he shakes his head. "I don't mind, Andi. If it's something you want… Don't make it seem like other's motives are your own." Zen closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. "I want a dragon to find you, Andi."

"I.. I guess it did." She stammers a reply, and then looks sheepish at his words, eyes slowly opening to regard him across the intervening distance. A glance around, a little bit of a scoot closer to him, and she pauses, looking awkward. "M-Maybe."

"Then be honest with yourself. No one's here that'll report you to your father." Zen keeps his eyes closed, slowly tilting his head back and taking a breath. "Maybe what? That a dragon will find you? Probably will… Got a lot of good in you, you're smart… Many things that'll draw a dragon to you."

A little, awkward splash of water at him, and she's blushing as she does so, nodding just a little. "I guess.. If its a green, or." Andi stammers a little, trying to consider the implications of riding one of the randy little creatures, blushing darkly as she does so. "Or a blue." And she whispers a little, looking sheepish. "I.. I don't know anything about dragons, or.. Or living like that."

Merendezen blinks as he's splashed, opening green eyes to give her a look. A single brow lifts and he moves to splash her back. "A green?" He considers, then chuckles softly, moving to close the distance and to scoop up the little woman into his arms. "A blue? Are you attracted to women, little woman?" He teases and then shrugs, "you learn to live like that. You can't expect to just know when you Impress."

Andi watches him, biting her lip a little, and then when he's finally closing the distance, she's relaxing a little, looking less like a begging puppy as she leans against him, eyes closing. That is, until his question about women, and she's spazzing out just a little, strugging. "No… No…" She says hurriedly, red in the face and shoulders. "But.. But some people know.. Know more."

Merendezen chuckles softly as she relaxes against him, settling her in close and watching her curiously. The struggling is met with a laugh and he leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek. "I was teasing." He starts before tightening his grip so she can't get away. "There's always someone who knows more than others. And there's those who know less. You'll still be able to learn."

With Liril long gone and no chance of him managing to reappear to question her actions, and none of the Weyr residents likely to care one way or the other, she finally stops her struggling, slowly nodding and leaning to rest her head lightly on his shoulder as she does so. "Some of them… They grew up…" And she sighs a little. "I..I'm afraid, Zen." The Lady-turned-Candidate admits softly.

"Aye… They did grow up in the Weyr. But, even so… I hear there are many riders from Holds who are getting along fine now." His hand lifts to gingerly stroke at her hair. "Fear is normal…" Zen mutters softly, "I'm afraid…" And if this was anyone else, he likely wouldn't have admitted it.

"I.. I guess." She stammers slowly. "But.. I.. First there's.. the Sands. And.. And then.. flying. And then… Then -thread-." She whispers, the girl perhaps questioning her decision to stand, and her decision to follow her sense of duty. "Zen…" She whispers softly at his admittance, leaning away to look at him in surprise.

"They'll teach you. They have to… They'd have less dragonriders in the world if they just expected you to know." He points out, leaning in to press a kiss to her temple. "They'll teach you…" He promises before she gives him that look. He simply shrugs in response, smiling. "There's… A lot happening. Lots of possibilities and not knowing the outcome…" He considers for a moment. "Will you stay? If you don't Impress? If I don't?"

A frown, and Andi sighs softly, trying hard to make herself believe his words, to let his reassurances console her. And she hesitates for a moment, before swallowing and giving a slow nod. "I.. I will. For as long as I can." She offers, truly as much of a promise as she can give.

Merendezen leans in to press his face gingerly to her neck, murmuring. "I'll be here." He promises again, but this time for if she does and he is left on the Sands. He seeks comfort in the woman, holding her closer.

Tense, for a moment, Andi slowly relaxes as she gets used to his face against her neck, sighing softly, letting herself be held, arms gently resting over his, hugging him lightly. And then, she's asking him what she herself cannot even promise. "You'll wait… Which.. Whichever happens?"

Merendezen remains where he is, even as she tenses and waiting until she relaxes. He doesn't press more than that, only seeking to hide his face in her neck. "Whichever happens… I'll wait… Even if that means I'll have to steal you if I become a rider…"

Fingers gently fold over his arm, squeezing a little as she leans back into him, a little whisper of a sigh slipping through her lips. "I.. I don't know if.. If they'd want a Lady who.. Who has ties to a Weyr anyway." She says, almost remorsefully, as she considers what she's done to her future.

"Good." Harsh, but he generally sounds pleased with this. "I'll have you… No matter what." Zen pulls away from her neck, briefly, gingerly trailing kisses up to her ear. "No matter what."

There's a certain sadness to the look on Andi's face then as she considers that further, and a wince at Zen's harsh reply, dropping her chin, eyes closed as she bites her lip. Her quiet thoughtfulness has her stiff in his arms, before slowly, those kisses and his words draw her attention to him, and she's leaning, the sigh then a different sort. "Zen.." And his name too, seems to take on a different quality.

Merendezen presses a gently kiss to her ear, whispering softly, "you're mine." Possessive much? He pulls her closer, content with pressing kisses down her beck again and along her shoulder. "I don't want them to want you."

A little bit of a gasp, and Andi's breath seems to catch at his soft whisper, the Holder girl seeming then to give into his kisses without concern, fingers curling around his wrist. "Me.. Me either." She says softly, blushing as she admits openly to her desire to avoid her birthright - and duty.

Merendezen continues along her shoulder with the kisses even as her fingers curl around his wrist. He presses his lips more firmly before he grins against her skin. "Good girl." For her actually admitting her desires. "That makes me happy…"

His praise, his reaction, bouys her a little, and the attention is enough to make her flush hesitantly. Gently lifting his hand, she tentatively folds her fingers through it, gently kissing the back of it as she leans into Zen, perhaps looking a little awkward, a little tentative, but happy.

Merendezen chuckles softly as he notices her blush, shifting to press the kiss to her neck again. There's a little surprise as she takes his hand and kisses the back of it. "My little woman…" He praises softly, pleased by the fact that she moved on her own to do so. "Want help washing?"

The chuckling only causes her to continue to blush, shoulders lifting and hunching a little, looking embarrassed as she sits there, biting her lip, unsure of how to respond to his question, glancing a long look to the around her before peeking back over her shoulder, eyes big as she slowly lowers his hand once more. "I.."

Merendezen gives a light nibble to her shoulders as she hunches them. "My cute little Andi." He chuckles and shifts her slightly if only to reach for some sweetsand as she releases his hands. "Just your back, then?"

"I.. I'm okay." And she reaches for his hands as he shifts, shaking her head to gently pull them back to her, folding her arms,and with it possibly his as she shifts, blushing as she settles in his lap, resting her back against his chest, tentatively resting her cheek to his chin. "Just.." And a gentle squeeze of her hands on his arms indicates the rest of the lost sentence.

Merendezen gives her a look as she reaches for his hands and pulls them back, a brow lifting but he's more than happy to settle as she does, content with simply holding her. "Want to stay like this, then, little one?"

Andi blushes, a little bit of a nod, and the briefest kiss to his cheek as she sits there, eyes closing with a little sigh. "While.. While we can." She admits, nerves settled by his presence and their conversation, at least for the time being.

Merendezen smiles at the kiss on his cheek, settling down and not doing anymore. Excitement = not a good thing with a girl on your lap. Not to mention a Holdbred girl. So, he slouches a little and holds her, eyes closing and relaxing with her there and remaining so until she's ready to leave.

And particularly not an Andi girl, who.. well, lets just say that would certainly cause a reaction, and likely not a very good one. But, there she sits, settled in his arms, and there she stays until eventually, with great reluctance she'll move, lingering near him for the return to the barracks, trying to ignore the day of hard work that awaits her in the morning. And for many more mornings after that.